[PRP] Dragon Crushes (Shar + Yulaniath x R'iz + Bossuth)

[SilverLutz]

Shar watched the skies for Yulaniath, her dragon off on a solo mission once again to deliver a message to one of the wingleaders that were out drilling. Her small green had quickly become a fast volunteer whenever the riders were in classes, eager to be doing something to help when Shar wasn't around. Classes had gotten out a little earlier than expected, though, and she was waiting for her bonded to return so she could begin to wash her. Due to her small size it didn't take long to clean and oil the green, so the two usually helped R'iz with Bossuth. The bronze - while small among his peers - was already huge compared to his twelve foot long sister who was certainly among the tiniest of their clutch. Only their white siblings and cousins remained smaller than her, but it didn't get her nor Shar down.

Finally Yulan was in sight and the rider stood just as her dragon landed neatly before her. Shar reached up to pull herself onto Yulan's shoulders, toes no longer brushing the ground, and once she was strapped in the two flew off to the bathing area.

Sorry to keep you waiting. I was speaking to Balizarth. Yulan apologized as she caught a draft, rising higher before winging away to the Bowl.

"That the one you took the first message to?" Shar asked and got a wave of confirmation as a result. There was more entwined with that sensation, though, one of things Shar couldn't quite put her finger on. It made her chest tight and her whole body hot, though, and she was sure if Yulaniath had been able, there would be a flush on her cheeks. She couldn't see her eyes but something was certainly off and it had been since Yulan had delivered that message to the brute of a bronze.

"What were you talking about?" she asked, leaning over Yulan's neck as they began to circle their landing spot.

I was asking him about his latest drills. Burning Aces was flying overhead yesterday during your class and they were doing some interesting formations, Yulan said as she landed, delicate and deliberate. Shar unhooked and slid off her dragon, a hand on her neck as she moved to face Yulan. Her dragon's eyes were a mix of blue and just a tinge of yellow, and perhaps even a swirl of purple here and there. Embarrassment flooded Shar as Yulan looked away and she let her dragon go so she could scamper off to Bossuth who was already fairly soapy. Shar remained where she was for a moment, trying to parse out the sensations her dragon kept pushing through her, but after a moment or two she dutifully followed Yulan.

"Started already I see," she said as she approached R'iz who looked about as soaking wet as Bossuth. "Sorry about the wait. Yulan was talking with someone," she added, rolling her eyes to express her displeasure. Yulan snuck under Bossuth's shiny wing to hide from Shar's irritation, cooing up at her brother in a bid to save her.

I only wanted to understand the wing formation! I'd never seen it before, she 'complained', clearly not at all afraid of Shar but still beseeching her brother's protection.

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

Every single day it seemed he spent a good chunk of time doing exactly this. Soap slapped R'iz across the face, his red hair already plastered to his head and a chuckle in his voice as the shirtless teen tried to wipe it from his eyes and glare reproachfully, unsuccessfully, at his bronze dragon. While he was certainly one of the smallest of his color, he still was growing more and more with each day and that meant constant washing and oiling to keep it so that his gleaming hide didn't crack or scar up from it. He was close to thirty feet already, so it made the teen wonder exactly when he'd stop growing and settle out at his full length. Likely thirty five feet was what he was figuring. Smallest of the known bronzes but that didn't mean he was small by any stretch of the imagination. Not when compared to some of the whites and greens in his clutch.

Out of retaliation he clambered up on the great beast's back and started scrubbing at the markings on his wings, soap forming with each stroke. It was to their advantage that Shar and Yulaniath were so patient and helpful, or they'd have been there for quite some time. Shards what those with the giant golds must have gone through when they were growing, he'd seen some upwards of fifty feet or larger hanging around. Great dragons, it was relieving at least that Bossuth would be big but not such a giant.

"Started already I see" R'iz tilted his head so he could look backwards at Shar and her little hardcore green, just the perfect of matches for each other. A grin crossed his face again and he threw a towel at her that had been shoved in a pocket. "It's not like it was a long wait anyway, it takes forever to scrub this much dragon. Wanna trade?" Underneath him, Bossuth gave a snort and hopped, knocking R'iz from his back and into the water below as he turned to give his attention to his sister instead.

We're still a little early for wing formations, which dragon was it that you were talking to? Bossuth's intricate wing spread over his sister protectively and he curved his neck to reach back and boop her nose gently with his own. He had a quiet idea of who it was, but he would never open up and say so to his rider or Shar without her permission after all.

Deep down he was a romantic at heart, but as the little bronze was more than aware that he was unworthy of such attentions he liked to live vicariously through the romances of other dragons and humans. Still, he had one or two himself that he privately sighed over and none would ever know their names.

R'iz's head popped back up with a gasp and a wave of indignation followed it, along with the realization that it was really his Radish's not telling anyone about his dragon's romantic inklings that had it so secret.

As he righted himself and spit out a considerable amount of water, the redhead shook his head and scrambled out of the washing pit to glance at Shar, reading her irritation quite well instantly. "Well it's bound to happen, she delivers messages after all, probably she has quite a few conversations with those receiving. She could learn a lot from those wingriders and their dragons, she's just as focused as you are after all." A rush from Bossuth had him realize he'd likely poked a sore spot, but R'iz knew full well that she couldn't stay irritated forever, not with her own dragon.

That would be like staying constantly irritated at herself, even Shar wasn't that irritated all the time.

She's irritated for another reason My Radish. One neither of you, especially you, understand yourself just yet. The little bronze shot it over privately, the only reason that he knew that was so was because neither Shar nor Yulan reacted in any way to it and he knew his best friend likely would have punched him if she'd heard his dragon talking that way.

R'iz just blinked at the little bronze curiously.

SilverLutz

So this is LAAAATE. *Whistles innocently*

 

[SilverLutz]

Shar caught the towel that was tossed at her before irritation gave way to a burst of laughter as Bossuth bumped R'iz right off his back and into the water below. Leave it to the bronze to cheer her up...or distract her. One of the two. Sometimes those two dragons seemed to be in on some kind of secret plan that they weren't letting Shar or R'iz in on and she wanted to know what it was they spoke to one another about in the privacy of their minds. But Yulan was always quick to change the subject and Bossuth - when asked directly - always said he didn't share secrets. Ugh.

R'iz thankfully surfaced a few moments later, spouting water and looking rather indignant at his dragon before slogging through the water to dry land. His words brought back Shar's train of thought and she gave a little huff as she set the towel aside to work on taking off her boots. There was no way to wash a dragon of any size without getting absolutely soaked and she wasn't about to let everything she had on join her in that soapy fate.

"Yes, but she doesn't need to talk as long as she was today," she groused as she set her boots aside. "I was waiting for her to return for near a half hour! And it was just one letter! Clearly whatever she was talking to that sharding pompus excuse for a bronze about was more important than washing up."

Meanwhile, under the safety of her brother's large wing, Yulaniath returned the little boop before leaning against one stocky leg. Yulan was nearly done growing and already she was less than half the length of Bossuth, dwarfed by her brother as it should be. Yulan didn't mind being small, not one bit, especially when it meant she could snuggle up with Bossuth so easily.

Balizarth, you know. One of the bronze dragons from Burning Aces, she said, trying to keep the rather daydreamy tone of voice out of her words. He...ah...oh, it's embarrassing to say! Yulan turned to hide her face behind Bossuth's leg, eyes swirling with blue and yellow, her delight but embarrassment at admitting it clear as could be. Instead she fell silent though continued to send Bossuth her twitterpated feelings through their mental link, taking solace in the fact that she knew Bossuth wouldn't tease her or tell Shar. If her rider knew she was head over tail for *this* particular bronze...well. She wouldn't be pleased.

He complimented me on my work ethic. I knew I shouldn't have stayed very long but he was just so wonderful to talk to. And to be noticed by, but she left that out.

Hattaki

A post is never late! It is delivered precisely when it should be -w-

 

[Hattaki]

Hearing Shar's laughter was always a treat, since it came as a bit of a rarity even though it was nice. Still, Bossuth didn't appear to be bothered one bit by her ire that came back only a bit after, it may have been directed at his sister and not himself, which made it a bit easier, but he knew full well the reasons behind why. Instead of answering the confused look his rider gave him, he let a wing send a spray of water at the two friends and settled about acquainting himself with what it was that had Shar so irritated in Yulaniath's late arrival.

R'iz in the meantime did his best to wring out his pants and grinned at his best friend, knowing full well exactly what it was. Her own dragon making her late to something, especially something as important as a wash and oil that might bring about cracks on a growing dragon's hide. At least with her smaller green the likelyhood of those cracks developing were far less, but that wasn't exactly the only reason why Shar seemed irritated.

"Could be exactly what she claims, maybe Balizarth was regaling her with the intricate wing maneuvers they work on in his wing." The redhead had no idea which wing that was as he rarely paid that much attention to higher ups. Especially those on fellow bronzes, as he'd discovered from originally taking the effort to learn from them that most of them... were colorist assholes. Sure they were impressive, but their views on hierarchy and the color of dragons, especially whites and greens, were just disgusting. Never had he thought in a thousand turns he'd see dragonriders looking down on other dragonriders. But then before Impressing R'iz had been somewhat starry eyed to them in general. That had a tendency to hide flaws in the worst of backfiring ways. "Or maybe she just likes him?"

Yulan was bound to have friends outside of Bossuth after all, she was a very well rounded little green.

Aaaah, that max sized glowing bronze from Burning Aces, I have seen him fly around when on the Fire Heights. He almost chuckled a little bit at the way she admitted it and he gave her a little bounce of a shove in encouragement as Yulan spoke. Never once did his wing lower from covering her though, even if it wasn't like it could cover her from her own rider's mood, but it was the thought that counted. Letting the little sparks of her inner butterflies and emotions wash over him, Bossuth took the opportunity to live a bit vicariously through someone that also had a crush but a much better chance of living a romance. And Yulaniath, of all his siblings, was such a hard working and great green that she deserved a wonderful one.

He seems a good sort to look up to with all his experience. Surely staying and talking to someone so skilled can't be seen as that bad of a thing. Especially when it makes you this happy to have been noticed by him of all dragons. Nowhere in Bossuth's voice was any ounce of sarcasm or pointed jab, when he said 'him of all dragons' he meant it. Though he might have been the worst of them, he knew that bronze dragons were looked up to for their size and, with older ones, their skill at threadfighting. Honestly, he didn't quite see the problem with his sister having a crush on Balizarth, for that bronze was quite skilled from everything that he'd heard and seen.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Bossuth's knowing tone would have had Yulaniath blushing if she'd been able. As it was she huddled under Bossuth's neck, accepting his much larger body as a shield to hide from their riders. Oh, but it was embarrassing to be so flustered! It wasn't something she necessarily liked, but it wasn't the worst thing in the world, either. Perhaps if Bossuth had been mean-spirited about it but he was accepting and affirmative as always which made the funny feelings in her stomach twist that much more.

Well...I did make us late for this, Yulan said with a little sigh. She had gotten a great confidence boost from Balizarth, though, and she had done her duty well, so perhaps it wasn't the worst thing in the world. Shar's irritation was mild and more of an act than anything now that she was with her friend so Yulan could relax just a bit.

But he is very important and good at his job. He's a good roll model, she said, tilting her head up to gaze at her brother with more than just a bit of fondness in her tone. It was a bit hopeful as well, reaching out to Bossuth carefully, knowing her brother wouldn't scorn her for her little weyrling crush but still hesitant to 'admit' to it, in a way.

Meanwhile, Shar scoffed at the edge of the water as she reached down to tug at her own shirt, getting ready to join R'iz in getting their dragons cleaned up.

"Him? I don't think so. That brute of a bronze and his flitterbrained deadglow rider are colorist and wouldn't bother giving her the time of day if she hadn't been sent on a mission. And she'd better not," she added, glaring over at her dragon who was hiding fairly well between the legs and under the wings of Bossuth. Giving a huff, Shar tugged off her shirt and tossed it aside on the shore before wading into the water in her pants and breast band.

"I won't be having my dragon get all sappy over a bronze like Balizarth. Ugh. Toss me a rag, will you?" Shar added, kicking a little water in R'iz's direction after watching him wring out his pants. Trying to stay dry while washing dragons was a fool's mission.

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

Still came those feelings, fluster and the butterflies that seemed to dance all around her. Bossuth thought it was grand to have crushes, had a few of them himself even if nothing would likely come of them, but to watch Yulaniath suffer from them... he almost had a brotherly moment of wanting to rib her a bit for it. However it wasn't in his nature and her fond gaze and tone pulled a tiny trill from him, no, he would never poke at his sister, even good-naturedly. You weren't late you were here exactly when you needed to be. Don't worry about a think, my Radish wasn't finished yet anyway and we would have waited for you besides. The little bronze's eyes swirled blues and purples of contentment. Personally he liked the water just as much as he liked the air so this sort of thing was pleasant for him, just calmly waiting.

Balizarth is a very good role model, if a little colorist. You can learn a lot from him, just don't take everything he says to heart. Gently Bossuth booped his nose to the end of his sister's smaller one. Is he the only role model you enjoy being around right now, or are there more? While his tone was slightly impish, it was also innocently curious, wanting to know who Yulan liked and didn't among those in the Weyr as he held her opinion as one of the highest of all those he knew. Even higher than his twin brother, which was saying something considering he still thought the world of the darker and larger bronze despite it all.

Privy to the entire conversation that Bossuth was having since the small bronze was broadcasting it to him as well, R'iz stifled the grin that was threatening to cross his face and tossed the requested rag over to his best friend. "Colorists are the scum of Pern, but they're all over the place at High Reaches. Yulaniath's really smart though, I doubt she'd actually fall in love with that giant heap even if she seems interested now." Still, the grin flashed over the redhead's face when she glared at Yulan, followed by a flush.

Which he was blaming on the sun, one hundred percent.

Once again he tried to wring water out of his pants, but now that he had help it would be fairly pointless to stop what he was doing and he hopped back into the water with a large splash. "Bossuth's sort of sappy about quite a few but he's also a little, well... himself about it." R'iz chuckled as the bronze snorted and tipped his wing up just enough to cast a look at him before lowering it entirely. "They're still growing, they'll figure it all out in the end."

Or maybe they wouldn't, but that didn't really concern him as he had his own problems and wasn't quite certain if he knew a single thing about crushes and sappiness.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Good ol’ Bossuth, he always knew what to say to lift Yulan’s spirits. She lifted her head to return the boop, her much smaller snout nuzzling his affectionately. While Bossu didn’t think very highly of himself Yulan found his unconditional love and cheerfulness refreshing and hopeful. There was a lot to be sad about in their world but Bossu was the little spark that never seemed to go out. Flicker, sure. Dim, sometimes. But snuff out completely? Never.

But then he had to go say something teasing like that and Yulan flared her wings in an attempt to admonish the much larger dragon, slapping him lightly on his leg with her wingtip.

Im not some foolhardy green, Bossuth! I have lots of role models but not like that. I know my place. Really, it was silly to have a crush on such an important bronze dragon like Balizarth. She could fawn over him mentally and try to impress him with her work ethic but she knew nothing would come from it. She was a green, after all, and he a very traditional bronze. The most she’d get from him was a good word about her commitment to her duty. Still, she could dream and admire from afar, right?

You’re one of them, in fact. I don’t know a kinder dragon than you, dearest brother. I strive to be more like you every day.

Shar caught the rag and dipped it into the water to wet it as she slogged her way over to R’iz, completely oblivious to any blushing. R’iz words made her narrow her eyes as she glanced at Yulan, still hiding behind Bossuth’s wings.

“She better not,” she grumbled. “Plenty of better dragons out there. Bronzes even if that’s what she’s after. Now where did you leave off?” She changed the subject as she drew closer to Bossuth. His hide looked fairly well cleaned already but she figured they could finish him first, then move on to Yulaniath and get her cleaned up in the blink of an eye.

“All I know is she better not let anything interfere with our training, crush or otherwise. Once we’ve graduated she can be all flitterbrained and chase after dragons between drills. Her first flight will be interesting to say the least if she’s already like this.” The thought of Bossuth eyeing dragons did draw a little smile to her lips despite her grumpy mood. She and Yulan both had a soft spot for the awkward bronze and Shar did hope he’d find someone to curl up with on his ledge. Yulan was good for snuggling now but surely Bossu would want someone of his own if Yulan ever found someone for her.

“Oh? And who has he been getting sappy over?”

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

Chuckling with a quiet sort of amusement at the slap on his leg and Yulan's flared up wings, Bossuth kept his own wing covering her all the same and angled his head down to watch her with swirling green and blue eyes full of his laughter. Your place is wherever you want it to be, not what others tell you it is. Of all the greens I've ever met, you're the least foolhardy of all. Gently he tucked his wing even tighter around her from the concern he felt at his brave sister stating so simply that she knew her 'place'. That didn't bode well for where he belonged himself, or rather it wouldn't have until she told him that she was one of her role models.

That itself was completely unexpected and it didn't make any sense. He wasn't the type of dragon that would make a good role model, the bronze knew he was the lowliest of all bronzes. Saying that, however, would only make Yulaniath angry. Thank you, but you're the best and strongest flier of our whole clutch, both of them. You should strive to be more like yourself and better than you were the day before, big sister.

Now if you would only take your own advice. R'iz directed at his dragon almost sardonically, he knew full well that nothing like that would ever change, not anytime soon.

To Shar he just chuckled and pointed to Bossuth's back legs. "She's still a growing baby dragon, even if she's almost grown. Sometimes kids have crushes on people or... dragons, that make no sense." R'iz hadn't had any of his own, but he'd known that his little sister had crushes and that some of her friends did. There had been far too much giggling sometimes. "Pretty sure it won't interfere with any training, Bossuth's never do anyway, just his free times and Yulan's definitely way more determined than he is." There was a grin that flashed over his face with the small bronze's instant rumble of discontent at that statement that he'd heard. But he knew full well that his Radish didn't actually mean a word of it.

At the question of his dragon's sappy feelings and the origin of them, Ri'z actually had to take a moment to pause in the scrubbing he was giving the bronze's tail. "Mostly green actually, one from Western, one from the other clutch opposite Bossuth's and Yulaniath's, I think there was a gold too..." he shook his head trying to remember them all. "It's nice to see that he's got a few that he has a crush on, eventually he might even find a partner. I think..."

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Yulan knew Bossuth meant well by his words and perhaps if she'd been born a different color or gender she'd rise up to the heights she knew she was capable of reaching. But she was just a green, Threadfodder and little else, but she would be the best green to have ever served at High Reaches. Dependable, hard working, a fighter through and through, ready to lay down her life for her home and Pern. That, in her eyes and Shar's, was more than enough.

That is sound advice. I can't measure up to bronzes or browns or blues, but I shall strive to be the best me I can be and to build on that every day, she said, lifting her head again to nuzzle Bossuth's broad chest fondly. She was thankful that she had someone like him at her side for support and hoped he would take her own reassurance and kind words to heart as she did.

Shar sloshed over to Bossuth's hind leg, the water up to her waist already. It was nice that she was small so Yulaniath didn't struggle to carry her, but at times like this she wouldn't have minded a few more inches.

"It better pass is all I have to say," she said with a huff as she began to wash, starting with as high as she could reach, very nearly reaching where R'iz had left off. She listened as R'iz began to list Bossuth's interests, smirking slightly up at the bronze. It was nice to know that despite his low self-esteem Bossuth was still carrying flames for some of the dragons around here.

"I'm sure he will. Loads of dragons out there," Shar agreed before really getting down to business. R'iz had cleaned most of Bossuth so finishing him up didn't take too long and together they were able to wash Yulaniath in record time. The little green was quite pleased with being scrubbed on both sides at the same time and she made little coos and chirps of delight as the brushes and sponges tended to her hide.

When all was said and done the pair of riders and their dragons were done in a little under an hour. Shar dragged her soggy self out of the water with her supplies, wringing out her shorts as best she could once she reached dry land.

"I'd say that's a record for cleaning a green," she said with a grin tossed R'iz's way. "Next time we won't be late and we can set the record for cleaning a bronze, too."

Hattaki

 

[Hattaki]

Water dripped off of R'iz, it seemed more than was dripping from either dragon when they'd been wet, there was also oil covering him from head to toe as was normal. Washing and oiling a bronze, even a small one, was a very hands and body on process whether he wanted it to be or not. But seeing both Bossuth and Yulaniath gleaming in the setting sunlight was actually really fulfilling. Now just imagine when the pair of them were even larger!

"Well, record for a growing bronze." the redhead tossed the towel he had in his hand over one sunburned shoulder that was threatening to be the same color as his hair later that night. "Can you imagine once he's totally grown? He'll be a giant!"

I will not be a giant. Bossuth creeled in indigence. He was smaller than every one of his bronze clutchmates after all. One so small was never destined to be a giant like some of the biggest and darkest colored bronzes were going to be. His brother among them now that he thought about it. As if to prove his point he stretched his wings up and out and shook from nose to tail tips. Even if he loved water it did cramp him slightly to be standing for so long in it, especially after a day of training.

"Well, maybe not a giant, but I bet Shar and I could get a really good record in for washing and oiling you up then too." Gently R'iz shooed at his dragon with the rag and stretched his arms out in a mock of Bossuth's own stretch. "I'm stiff and hungry and dinner's calling all our names right now, right?"

Not all of our names. Laughter came from Bossuth and he tapped his sister on the side with his tail tips, a meaningful thought passing her way before he jumped into the air, heading towards the fire heights and leaving his rider and her's to go to dinner together by themselves.

Which he could only hope would create a moment or two for them.

SilverLutz

Fin. <3